Euphemism for killing - usually of an animal.
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In the USA, I once heard a slang noun obviously derived from "harum-scarum": "hurmer-skurmer", meaning a reckless man.
I learned over 50 years ago in school that "beyond the pale" referred to the "line" or boundary the Roman army set up between British and Scottish regions at the time of…
A mojo hand is a charm to make a special woman love you. In the song he is going down to Louisiana to get him a mojo hand. So he is living in Chicago and goes down south because…
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From the Phrase Finder Digest
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Shops start playing carols and stacking tins of biscuits weeks before December even arrives, which makes Christmas the longest-running seasonal hook of the year. The phrases that travel with it, from a bishop's 1534 letter to a 1977 political jibe, have a better paper trail than most people assume.
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Remembrance Sunday brings out a handful of phrases we repeat without thinking about where they came from. Two are older than any war fought in living memory, and one has a history most people get wrong.
14 October 2026
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- MeaningBird brainedDescribes someone as silly, foolish, or scatterbrained, as though their head held nothing more than a bird's tiny brain.
- MeaningChildren, one is one, two is fun, three is a house fullOne child is manageable, two children is enjoyable, but a third child makes the household feel full to bursting.
- MeaningDog does not eat dogA proverb meaning that people belonging to the same profession, group, or class do not attack, betray, or harm one another.
- MeaningLike shooting fish in a barrelSomething that is extremely easy to achieve, often with the suggestion that it is unfairly so.
- MeaningLittle black numberA little black number is a simple, usually flattering black dress or outfit kept ready for a smart occasion.
- MeaningNever look a gift horse in the mouthYou should not criticise or find fault with something that has been given to you free of charge.
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Phrases.org.uk has been documenting the meaning and origin of phrases, sayings and idioms since 1997. Every entry is researched and written by Gary Martin, with citations to the earliest printed use we can find.
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